Partridgeberry Place LID Subdivision, fall 2006

Demonstration 1
Low-Impact Development (LID) Subdivision

Location: Ipswich

Purpose:

• Demonstrate the feasibility and benefit of combining a wide range of LID principles and techniques into a single development.
• Provide a model for developers and municipal officials confronting water resources pressures and seeking innovative approaches to stormwater management.
• Monitor and quantify the runoff associated with the demonstration site.
• Reduce nonpoint source pollution and increase base flow to nearby waterways.

Description: Partridgeberry Place is a new 20-lot subdivision on 40 acres in the Ipswich River watershed. One of the first Open-Space Residential Design projects to be built in Ipswich, this project preserves 74 percent (28 acres) of the 38-acre site as open space. LID features include compact site design, with single-family houses clustered on lots less than .2-acres in size; minimization of land disturbance; reduced pavement areas, including an 18-foot-wide subdivision road; reduced setbacks, resulting in shorter driveways and smaller yards; grass pavers for overflow parking; an open grass swale that drains to a central bioretention area; rain gardens on individual house lots; reduced lawn areas and use of native, drought-resistant vegetation for landscaping; and infiltration of roof runoff through drywells.  A shared septic system facilitates smaller lot sizes while still allowing on-site recharge of wastewater.  Collectively, these LID techniques will retain, naturally filter, and infiltrate stormwater on site and improve the quality of the runoff that does occur. The development was designed and engineered by Meridian Associates.

Data Collection and Analysis: GeoSyntec Consultants will conduct a study to characterize runoff patterns at Partridgeberry Place during different storm sizes and intensities, through targeted monitoring and modeling.  These patterns will be compared to simulated runoff at a conventional subdivision on the same site and under the same storm conditions, using hydrologic modeling (the conventional layout will come from original plans submitted for the property before the project was redesigned as a cluster development).  Finally, runoff from Partridgeberry Place will be compared with monitored flows at a small forested area adjacent to the site to evaluate the effectiveness of the LID techniques in achieving the stated goal of “mimicking natural conditions.” 

Partners:

• The Martins Companies (developer)
• GeoSyntec Consultants

Designer/Engineer:  Meridian Associates, Beverly, MA

Status: See Progress Report